I Am Trying to Divorce My Villain Husband, But We Had a Child - chapter 17

17?

 

Unfolding the card, a familiar and curly handwriting appeared.

 

[Happy Birthday, Richard.]

 

Only then did Richard remember his forgotten birthday.

 

A week ago, when the maid asked how he would like to celebrate his birthday, he had vehemently insisted on not preparing anything, as they were on the brink of war.

 

However, Elisa had remembered and waited for his forgotten birthday.

 

“But most knights before setting out for a mission want to spend time with their loved ones more than focusing on training.”

 

‘…, Even if they don’t die, they don’t know how long they’ll be separated.’

 

Next to the cake was a small music box smaller than the palm of a hand.

 

Richard stared at it absentmindedly, then gently held it in his hands.

 

He had been so focused on surviving the immediate threats that he had neglected the limited time remaining.

 

Perhaps, this time might be the last time he spends with her.

 

“…..”

 

Holding the music box, Richard embraced the sleeping Elisa. Sensing the embrace, Elisa, who had been half-awake, opened her eyes.

 

“…Richard?”

 

Rubbing her eyes with eyes not fully awake, Elisa looked around before her eyes sparkled.

 

“Oh right, it’s my birthday! It’s not even midnight yet, right?”

 

Richard, who was about to put the half-awake Elisa down on the bed, answered.

 

“It’s not my birthday today.”

 

“Huh? Grayson said it was today…”

 

“I don’t know when my birthday is. I just arbitrarily decided on it.”

 

Richard’s step-uncle, who was a military official, never paid attention to Richard’s birthday. As a result, Richard naturally grew up without knowing his birthday. He had never cared about the significance of birthdays.

 

But now, it holds meaning.

 

“At least sleep first, and we’ll decide tomorrow. My birthday.”

 

“Me to decide? Is that okay?”

 

“If it’s bothersome, just decide for tomorrow.”

 

“Oh, no. Since it’s a once-in-a-year birthday, it should be a good day!”

 

Elisa firmly raised her head as if deciding arbitrarily on a birthday would cause a big problem.

 

Richard thought he should look for a suitable date and turned to leave for the bathroom, but something seemed to come to Elisa’s mind, and she turned back.

 

“I’ll show you around the detached villa tomorrow.”

 

Elisa, who had been searching for books about paths on one side of the bookshelf, looked surprised at Richard’s words.

 

“Do we not have training tomorrow?”

 

“We’ll take a break.”

 

The short answer caused an unmistakable blush to spread on Elisa’s small and fair face.

 

Turning away, Richard’s lips, which had been stiff, curved into a gentle smile.

 

*

 

Time passed quickly, and soon Richard’s departure was right around the corner.

 

That night, Elisa waited for Richard as if she were saying goodbye.

 

“Richard!”

 

Running towards him with a blush, Elisa froze as she got close.

 

As Elisa approached, she reached out and embraced his neck.

 

In an instant, Richard’s earlobes turned red.

 

Frozen in place, Richard, who was about to return Elisa’s hug, saw Elisa stepping back.

 

With an innocent smile, Elisa, who was oblivious to the fire that she had ignited, asked.

 

“How is it?”

 

“What?”

 

“The pendant.”

 

Richard finally realized that Elisa had put a pendant around his neck. Hanging from the pendant was a small charm with a red gem embedded.

 

The arm with the missing hand gently touched it.

 

“What is this?”

 

“A mascot. This gem is said to absorb misfortune and prevent the owner’s misfortune. So, never take it off.”

 

Even though he would return unscathed, since she was worried, she prepared it as a farewell gift.

 

‘You must live, for both your sake and mine until I become an adult and am not chased out of the dukedom!’

 

Looking at the pendant around Richard’s neck, Elisa felt relieved. The red gem complemented his eyes well, making her extremely satisfied.

 

“Let’s go to sleep now. We have to wake up early tomorrow.”

 

Elisa said that and promptly lay down on the bed.

 

“I’ll wake you up since I’ll see you off tomorrow. Got it?”

 

Though it was short, they wouldn’t see each other for one or two years. Maybe even longer. That’s why she wanted to say goodbye.

 

“I got it.”

 

After hearing Elisa’s reply, Richard left for the bathroom, leaving her behind.

 

The room was gradually filled with the dawn light, tinted in blue.

 

Elisa, blinking her eyes absentmindedly, felt a sense of emptiness and glanced around.

 

She found herself sitting up, holding the pillow that once belonged to Richard. However, there was no sign of the owner of the pillow anywhere in the room.

 

Elisa quickly got up.

 

“…Richard?”

 

There was no answer. Instead, the blanket someone had covered her with slipped down.

 

Elisa, scanning the empty room, grabbed the pillow beside her and buried her head in it.

 

Every night, the scent of Richard, whom I used to visit, lingered on that pillow.

 

*

 

After Richard left, about a month had passed.

 

Having finished breakfast, Elisa was summoned by Albert to dress.

 

The breeze seeping through the window carried the early summer warmth.

 

“Oh?”

 

Ann, who was searching for a hair ornament to pin on Elisa, looked up and smiled.

 

Elisa asked upon seeing it, “What’s wrong, Ann?”

 

“The hair ornament with pink flowers is missing.”

 

“Oh? Maybe I’ll put it somewhere else.”

 

“There’s no other place it could be… I’ll look for it again later.”

 

Elisa tied her hair with a simple ribbon and left the room.

 

A sigh escaped Elisa’s lips as she headed to Albert’s study.

 

It was never a good sign when Albert called her individually.

 

Today was no exception.

 

Arriving at the door, Elisa knocked, and a response came as if he had been waiting.

 

“Come in.”

 

Before opening the door, Elisa took a deep breath.

 

As soon as she entered, the pungent smell of ink pierced her nostrils. It was a scent that suited Albert, who was looking at her with cold eyes.

 

Aaron, Albert’s aide who was in the study, hastily left upon seeing Elisa.

 

As always, Albert went straight to the point.

 

“I heard you didn’t attend the tea party hosted by Viscountess Felice a few days ago.”

 

With just that sentence, Elisa understood why Albert had called her.

 

With the emperor’s birthday approaching, heirlooms were returning. These were the belongings of those who had fallen in battle before the imperial army and Richard arrived at the front.

 

Despite the war not fully starting yet, people started feeling uneasy about the returned heirlooms, thinking it signaled an unfavorable turn for the imperial army.

 

Following the attack in the imperial hunting grounds and the subsequent return of nobles who had lingered on the side of rebellion, many nobles flocked back to the emperor’s side.

 

Trained knights and soldiers were also dying easily in this war.

 

Even if someone inherited the power of a noble house, a mere fifteen-year-old boy would likely not survive.

 

Because of this, Albert’s mood had been low lately.

 

However, Elisa attending or not attending the tea party hosted by Felice was a matter that touched the pride of their house.

 

Elisa explained calmly, “I had financial lessons. I had already postponed once, and I felt sorry to postpone again.”

 

“For the sake of a mere lesson, you missed the tea party?”

 

“It’s also an obligation, and I believe keeping promises is a matter of integrity among priests.”

 

Albert clicked his tongue at Elisa’s response.

 

“Foolish. When two important matters coincide, you should have considered the gravity of each. Is studying more important to you than the honor of our house? A mere woman like you?”

 

The remark implied that studying was meaningless for a woman.

 

In response to Albert’s consistent gender bias, Elisa unconsciously bit her lip.

 

“Or, did you intentionally avoid it even though you knew the importance? Were you afraid they would mock you?”

 

Elisa felt a pang of guilt at his words.

 

In truth, she didn’t want to attend the tea party.

 

Rose Felice, who invited Elisa, was the fiancée of Crown Prince Christian and the girl who argued with Elisa at the Arden Count’s banquet.

 

Rose, who had never invited Elisa when Richard was around, had invited her to the tea party as soon as Richard left.

 

The intention was obvious.

 

‘She must want to belittle me, feeling insecure after Richard’s departure.’

 

At that moment, a convenient excuse not to attend the tea party presented itself in the form of a class.

 

“But, I didn’t want to go.”

 

“All the more reason you should have gone to show the well-being of Rubellin! Why did you let those parasites gossip that Rubellin is a coward without even fighting?”

 

“Instead of wasting time dealing with those lesser beings, I thought it would be more practical to study and work hard to show the prosperity of Rubellin in their eyes.”

 

Elisa replied, meeting Albert’s disapproving eyes with unwavering determination.

 

Though anger was evident in his red eyes, Elisa calmly added, “A reputation built on words alone is nothing but a decade.”